Eclecticism as a Virtue: Contemporary Artists Explore the Past

Abstract

In a recent issue of Art in America the following statement can be found, “… (he) shows signs of life, which, in the search for originality, will do until the real thing comes along.” For me, originality in that sense is, by and large, a myth. Eclecticism is, unfortunately, used generally in a derogatory sense as though the failure to be original is a cardinal artistic sin. To the casual student of art history survey courses this may seem to be true, i.e., this week we deal with the baroque, next week with the rococo, the following with romanticism or whatever. It certainly seems as though through history artists simply willed major changes in the direction of painting on a weekly basis. This is a little like watching film clips of the winning touchdown and thinking that that gives one a full understanding of the game. Of course, we know different—art produces art, art feeds on art.